Our 40-day, 9,000-mile American Journey produced nearly 50 stories, including a few that have excited readers nationwide and continue to raise fresh interest. One of those stories involves Mexican poet Rafael Jesus Gonzalez, whose moving reflections on the American “standard of living” have touched lives coast to coast. Every week, readers ask about him.
We have received so many requests for more information on Rafael that, today, we’re providing these easy links to read more of his rich and prophetic reflections. First, a word of warning to newcomers: Gonzalez is a passionate voice for freedom and his commentaries often are stinging rebukes to American assumptions. A recent column he published in his blog about Columbus Day comes from a Native American perspective and is an angry summary of Native responses to the 1492 collision in the Caribbean.
Who is Rafael Jesus Gonzalez?
In 2010, he is honored by the Museum of California as one of 24 remarkable Californians invited to create a display of their artifacts primarily from the creative 1960s and 1970s. Rafael was born in what he describes as “the bicultural/bilingual setting of El Paso, Texas/Juárez, Chihuahua.” He studied in both U.S. and Mexican universities. He became a professor of creative writing and literature, teaching at five different universities. He has won a number of national honors for his work.
His poetry is distinctive because he often publishes in both Spanish and English, but the dual pieces are not translations of each other. To fully experience his poetry, one must explore both languages in his work.
Where can I read more about Rafael Jesus Gonzalez?
The ReadTheSpirit story that sparked so much fresh interest in his work is headlined Rafael Jesus Gonzalez Redefines Quallity of Life.
For an overview of all the most popular stories in our American Journey series, here’s a convenient summary and index to the links.
Gonzalez’s own blog, where he publishes commentaries and poems, is http://rjgonzalez.blogspot.com/
And, please tell us what YOU think …
We want our “national conversation” to continue
Conversation is far better than the dangerous shouting matches we’ve been witnessing in our global culture recently. So, please, email us at [email protected] and tell us what you think of our stories—and, please tell a friend to start reading along with you!
We welcome your Emails! . We’re also reachable on Twitter, Facebook, Amazon, Huffington Post, YouTube and other social-networking sites. You also can Subscribe to our articles via Email or RSS feed. Plus, there’s a free Monday-morning “Planner” newsletter you may enjoy.
